Imperialism in Africa

1
Imperialism in Africa
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• Berlin Conference
• European Powers met together to divide up Africa.
  The African nations themselves had no say in
  their own land.
• European powers divided up Africa with no regard
  to the tribes that lived in Africa
• One could obtain a colony thorough
• occupation
• Notification of other European states of
  occupation and claim
• Showing that they could control the area.
• Only Liberia and Ethiopia were free of European
  control.

3

• Boer War
• Dutch farmers in South Africa, the Boers, fought
  against the British starting in 1899.
• The Boers wanted the diamonds and gold in South
  Africa to belong to them, and not the outsiders
  (British).
• The Boers used guerrilla warfare tactics against
  the British.
• The British struck back by imprisoning women and
  children in concentration camps and burning Boer
  farms.
• The British won the war.
• The Union of South Africa, controlled by the
  British,
• replaced the Boer Republic in 1902.

4

• Imperialism in China
• Africa was divided into Colonies and ruled
  directly by Europeans.
• China came under Imperialist control by using
  Spheres of Influence.
• Europeans used leases and concessions to gain
  control of China.
• In the 1790s China was not interested in western
  influence.
• China refused western technology.
• China was self-sufficient.
• Good agriculture
• Extensive mining and manufacturing
• Finely produced goods
• Porcelain, cottons, and silk

5

• Opium Wars (1839)
• The supply of opium started to grow which started
  to cause social, moral, and monetary problems of
  the country
• The Qing emperor became angry and he talked with
  Queen Victoria of England
• Pleas of the Qing emperor went unanswered and
  Britain refused to stop trading the opium with
  China
• As a result the British and the Chinese clashed
  and started the opium wars
• China was so behind the British in technology
  that the British was able to defeat China with
  their cannons and gunboats
• In 1842 the British and the Chinese signed a
  peace treaty, the treaty of Nanjing and this gave
  Britain a sphere of influence or exclusive trade
  rights to China.
• The treaty gave the British the island of Hong
  Kong

6

• Treaty of Nanjing
• The Treaty of Nanjing was written after the Opium
  Wars between the Chinese and British
• The British naval technology was far better than
  that of the Chinese
• The Chinese were humiliated in an easy win for
  the British
• The Treaty of Nanjing was written in 1842
• - British gained Hong Kong

7

• Sphere of Influence
• Sphere of influence a region where the foreign
  nation controlled trade and investment.
• The British had a sphere of influence over China
  during Imperialism.

8

• Boxer Rebellion
• The widespread frustration among the Chinese
  people erupted, the people were upset with the
  foreigners getting special treatments and
  privileges, they also resented the Chinese
  Christians, who were getting special privileges
  as well.
• The peasants demonstrated their discontent by
  forming a secret organization called the Society
  of Harmonious Fists. They later became known as
  the Boxers.
• Their campaign against the Dowager Empresss rule
  and foreigners privileges was known as the Boxer
  Rebellion.
• In the Boxer Rebellion, the Boxers descended on
  Beijing, shouting Death to the Foreign Devils.
  The Boxers surrounded the city for several
  months, and the Empress expressed support for the
  Boxers, but did not back her words with military
  support.
• In August, 20,000 troops marched toward Beijing,
  and soldiers from Britain, France, Germany,
  Austria, Italy, Russia, Japan, and the United
  States defeated the Boxers.

9

• Sun Yixian and the Chinese Revolution
• Sun was the founder of the Chinese Republic in
  1911 when the Last Emperor stepped down.
• When he stepped down rival warlords fought for
  power
• Several movements were formed
• May Fourth Movement students wanted to make
  China stronger through modernization,
  introduction of western ideas like democracy and
  nationalism
• Communist Mao inspired by Marx and Lenin
• Nationalists formed by Sun Yixian, called
  Guomindang
• After Suns death Jiang Jieshi took over
  Guomindang
• Civil war began between Nationalists and
  Communists

10

• Effects on the Colonies (Imperialism)(1750-1914)
• Short term effects
• Large numbers of Asians and Africans came under
  foreign rule
• Individuals and groups resisted European
  domination
• Famines occurred in lands where farmers grew
  export crops for imperialist nations in place of
  food for local use
• Western culture spread to new regions
• Long term effects
• Western culture continued to influence much of
  the world
• Transportation, education, and medical care were
  improved
• Resistance to imperial rule evolved into
  nationalist movements

                      
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Cash Crop Economies

• Economic Problems
• Under colonial rule, Latin American economies had
  become dependent on trade with Spain and
  Portugal.
• Latin Americans relied on a cash crop economy.
• The colonies sent raw materials such as sugar,
  cotton, and coffee to Europe and had to import
  manufactured goods.
• Dependence on one or two crops is not good for a
  nations economy and makes them very unstable.